Not a great deal of good economic news around these days. The slight dip in inflation to 9.9% is only temporary and interest rates look set to go one way only, one of the few tools the B of E has at its disposal to curb inflation. With energy prices set to go significantly higher when the cap is removed in October and technically, we may be in a recession already, what else do we need to deal with?

How about the desperate last throws of the dice by Putin who organised a "training exercise" that has killed an estimated 40,000 of his troops, many ill prepared for any type of battle and is now threatening various nuclear options. This is while keeping the populace in the dark with a web of official lies.

Calling up an additional 300,000 reservists could indicate that the "I am not bluffing" nuclear threats are down the road somewhat, the Russian reaction to that being a race to the door to get the hell out of an increasingly pariah state, with few places they can go.

Let's hope that in a year's time we can still be moaning about the higher mortgage rates.